You get to play President. It's 8/6/01 you get this PDB

[techweenie]

It's declassified.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0409041pdb1.html

In under a page and a half, it observes there are operatives in the U.S., mentions hijackings twice and surveillance of federal buildings in New York by al-Quaeda...

How would you react as President? Wait for confirmation? Ask about airport security? Review all security activities with your top advisors? End your vacation?

Be real, now. Try to keep the Monday morning quarterbacking to a minimum. Previous PDBs have also mentioned al Quaeda activities.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

1) Round up all the OT Pelican armchair quarterbacks and send them to the moon.

2) Drive their 911's down Mulholland drive as fast as possible.

3) Be sure to run Mulholland off the road.

4) Give Yankee the finger.

5) Get beat up by LAPD after being pulled over for road rage.

6) Sue the doctors who fix me up afterwards.

[techweenie]

ROTFLMAO!

[Moneyguy1]

"Uhhhh, Dick....Could you read this for me? It's full of big words".

On the more serious side...

Knowing that, in the past, terrorists have utilized aricraft for any number of purposes, and since the memo does mention aircraft, the airlines and airports should have been placed on notice that such a threat was (is) imminent.

Unfortunately, in the light of what happened "I told you so" is irrelevant. No one who is sane would have considered just what the aircraft would have been used for, and would have been looking for something more like the freeing of someone(s) or the like. In the wake of 9/11, the world, all the world, is now aware of the fanaticism that is out there. The "free" world, because it is the major target, and the "terrorist" world, because it now knows the effect it can and does have and the potential power it has to disrupt society. And, make no mistake, the world is far different than it was three short years ago.

I really do not think that the event could have been prevented, given the attitude of invulnerability that existed on 9/10.

It's just too easy to play "shoulda, Woulda coulda" after the fact.

As serious and tragic as 9/11 was and is, it is the catalyst for greater things. What we do from here on and what we have already done in the name of "fighting terrorism" is the actual problem that needs to be addressed.

[Moses]

"The FBI has not been able to corroborate..."

Kind of says it all. Do you close airports, incite panic and paralyse industry based on incomplete information? Of course not.

September 11 did not happen because of Clinton's inattention or Bush's indecision.

Let's quit bickering over who left the screen door open and start swatting flies.

[Mulholland]

The problem is, Moses, the Republicans are trying to swat flies, but the Democrats are too busy stabbing them in the back.

So, therefore, unfortunately, the Republicans have to swat flies and slap jackasses.

[Mulholland]

Bill Clinton:

"We'd been hearing that the Sudanese wanted America to start dealing with them again," the ex-president told a New York business group in February 2002.

"They released him. At the time, 1996, he had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America."

"So I pleaded with the Saudis to take him, 'cause they could have. But they thought it was a hot potato and they didn't and that's how he wound up in Afghanistan."

Sandy Berger:

"There was never such an offer," Berger insisted while under oath on Sept. 19.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Mulholland
The problem is, Moses, the Republicans are trying to swat flies...

Not trying too hard...

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden's whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)

[dtw]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
In the wake of 9/11, the world, all the world, is now aware of the fanaticism that is out there.

To my regret, I have to disagree. For the part of the US anyway. It seems to me that a vast number of people have already completely forgotten what fanatacism really means. I had dinner with a colleague a few weeks ago, a self-admitted liberal, and was appalled to hear that he still wants to "change the way of thinking" of the radicals. When asked point blank "So you don't believe there are at least a handful of radicals that absolutely won't change their mindset??", he conceded that there were. When asked what he proposed to do about them, he was unable to respond.

I so looked forward to hearing the liberal answer, that I almost forgot my steak was there. Unfortunately, as always, I never got it. Has there been a thread yet along the lines of, "Alright, liberal smartypants, what IS the answer to Islamic Jihad?"

[JavaBrewer]

I was flying again within a couple weeks of 9/11. I noticed it only took another month or two before people started whining about long lines and security screening hassles. Just think how that would have gone over pre 9/11.

I read the report you linked and very honestly would not have acted on it either. Would enacting martial law in airports have changed the outcome of 9/11? Perhaps, there are too many tangets to consider. Would it stop Terrorism. No.

Frankly, there are stacks of warnings floating around D.C. - most of which never make it to the top. We rely on the people we elect to make the best decisions they can given the circumstances and timing. Personally I think GW did a fine job on the days following 9/11 and will always be appreciative for his leadership through those difficult times. People trying to pin 9/11 on GW is absurd.

[BGCarrera32]

Originally posted by techweenie
Not trying too hard...

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden's whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)

You've taken both quotes of context, as these were said tongue in cheek because the American military was already in trashcanistan with more on the way. When you put the squeeze on the region and restrict the money flow, he essentially becomes a nut job in a cave...hence personally I don't care where he is so long as he has no basis from which to operate, and if they nail his sorry a$$ that's a bonus.

[Tishabet]

I think I would react in the same way all of us reacted to the july 4th weekend warning about floating ice chests being bombs....ho hum, business as usual.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by dtw
I so looked forward to hearing the liberal answer, that I almost forgot my steak was there. Unfortunately, as always, I never got it. Has there been a thread yet along the lines of, "Alright, liberal smartypants, what IS the answer to Islamic Jihad?"

That question has been asked several times in the various political/war threads on this site. Start the new thread, but drop the "liberal" part, everyone should participate. Apparently there's some real sharp folks here and I'd love to hear what they have to say in that regard.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by BGCarrera32
You've taken both quotes of context, as these were said tongue in cheek because the American military was already in trashcanistan with more on the way. When you put the squeeze on the region and restrict the money flow, he essentially becomes a nut job in a cave...hence personally I don't care where he is so long as he has no basis from which to operate, and if they nail his sorry a$$ that's a bonus.

I'm having trouble imagining a context where that would be an amusing comment. Americans were losing their lives supposedly pursuing public enemy #1. I think as a soldier or a survivor of a 9/11 victim, I'd find the comments unpalatable in the extreme.

There is no great benefit in 'cutting off the money' when OBL has a reputed wealth of hundreds of millions and the best guesses by US officials is that the 9/11 attacks cost all of $500K.

That nut job in a cave seems to have been behind the most devastating attack on American civilians in history. His current 'basis to operate' is approximately 60 countries and tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people who see him as a hero.

To use Mul's vernacular, he is The Fly That Must Be Swatted.

[BGCarrera32]

Thanks for the lecture...I learned a lot. The point is that if you get Bin Laden its a chink in the old raquetball glasses. There's another 1000 idiots or so who are ready to step up and orchestrate the same thing. Getting Bin Laden is *obviously* a good thing, but its like staring at the branch and missing the forest. The problem is much much wider than "thee" guy we blame for executing the attacks.
And step #1 is putting on the squeeze regionally to prevent further damage.

[techweenie]

Sorry, didn't mean it to sound like a lecture.

But look at the education level of most of the '1000 or so idiots' and it seems to me that taking out the leadership is hugely advantageous.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

9/11 served to educate the American public that they should not remain calmly in their seats when some maniac with a weapon stands up during their flight and says "no one will get hurt if they simply follow instructions".

That's the best airport security you can hope for, IMHO.

[mikester]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
9/11 served to educate the American public that they should not remain calmly in their seats when some maniac with a weapon stands up during their flight and says "no one will get hurt if they simply follow instructions".

That's the best airport security you can hope for, IMHO.

Exactly.

We have to fight it, in person when it rears it's ugly head.

Whack-a-mole with passion.

[smoak]

My recollection about the PDB is that the Pres. received several vague warnings about Al Quada. So to did Pres. Clinton for that matter. In fall 2000 a predator drone had the guy in its sights and we had no military on stand by to do anything about it. This whole argument about what the President should have done differently is a load of crap.

If the point of arm chairing this thing to death is so we don't make the same mistakes twice I get that and support it. If the point is to try and place politcal blame for 3,000 lives being lost, SHAME SHAME SHAME.

Through all this stuff the only thing I have gotten is that the FBI and the CIA were the Keystone Cops of the modern generation. The literally were, and in some respects still are, the Gang that could not shoot straight. They should feel the embarrassment of this tragedy. They were the organizations that HAD THE INFO to do something about this plot for almost 2 years prior to its completion. FBI couldn't find two of the hijackers, THEY WERE IN THE SAN DIEGO PHONEBOOK. My six year old nephew can find Waldo faster than those jacka$$es could find their guns. Then, in their infinite wisdom, they fail to even look on Massoui's computer. It basically had the whole thing laid out on it. Then in April some guy walks into the FBI office and says, hey guys guess what I was trained by Al Qaida I've been to Pakistan, I know about this hijacking, something going on. … I told them before 9/11, about more than a year, be … hijacking in America or on an America airline," Khan tells federal agents. He says he was sent to the U.S. to join operatives here. Khan passes two polygraphs, but FBI headquarters doesn’t believe him and lets him go.

These are some of the screw ups i see from this crap. I believe that leadership takes the heat and that goes to the top but come on... If there is any anger or disconcerting feelings directed towards anyone about 9-11, in my opinion they should be directed at the FBI and the CIA for being the interally aweful agencies that they are.

PS. Sure looks like the CIA got things together for the Pres. on the whole Iraq, WMD, stuff. Thanks a lot guys. Sure looks like you rebounded well after 9-11.

Is all of this lost on everyone. Am I alone in my outrage at these people for doing such a $hitty job? This is not politics, this is people charged with our safety and security screwing up big time, OVER AND OVER again. So why is it Michael Moore didn't focus on this and not on the politics? Because we never blame buerocrats, they just cruise along, getting cost of living raises every year, unable to be fired, just "doing their job." Well I tell you what, if any of my staff did a job like that I would fire their a$$ in a minute and I hope you would too.

[OFF FBI Rant/SoapBox] Breathe... Resume normal operation.